Megathread: Congressional Vote on the Iran Deal

[Horus]

Wouldn't Schumer seriously damage his chances of becoming the new Dem leader by voting against his own caucus on such critical issue? Real Democrats certainly shouldn't let that slip.

I think it might hurt him, but if he doesn't actively try to convince other Democrats and the bill will be passed, then he will be forgiven. Other Democrats will understand that he is not to be envied, as a Jewish senator in New York, the blue state were opposition against the Iran deal might be the highest. Supporting the deal might lead to a serious primary.

Democratic Jews don't care about foreign policy nearly as much as everyone seems to think. Otherwise they'd be solid Republicans by now. Also, despite what Netanyahu wants us to believe, he does not in fact speak for all Jews.

If Schumer fears he'll be primaried, it's just further proof that Democrats need to grow a spine.

Neither do you.

But a combination of Bibi, Bennett, Herzog, Lapid, Livni, and others do speak for Jews worldwide, and they all oppose this bad Iran deal.

No. They speak for Israel. Plenty of Jews don't agree with current Israeli government or parties. And that's without some, like the Outremont Jews here in Québec, thinking Israel is illegitimate and "hereric", because Jews shouldn't return to the Holy Land until God allows them to do so.

Yes, there are crazy people in every grouping of people. Satmar Jews are the American version of that. 

A better example would be ultra-secular Jews who do not identify with Israel, but in most cases these Jews also don't strongly identify with Judaism either. Which is fine, I disagree with it strongly and on moral grounds, but one will do what one wants to do.

But, for the most part, Jews who somewhat strongly or strongly identify with the culture, religion etc...have Israel as a top 5 or top 10 issue.

Israel doesn't exist for the mere fact of existing. It exists to better Jewish life, including Diaspora Jewish life. It may not be very successful in the latter, but Israel definitely does more for Diaspora Jews then any political party has or will do.

This continuous effort to split Jews and Israel from each other is not surprising to me, because ultimately the only thing the far-left wants is 100% obedience on all issues.

Also, the Security establishment in Israel is who? Dagan, Halevy? People who are irrelevant in today's world and just want to win the love of the left?

Israel has done nothing but embarrass and disappoint me.

[Horus]

Schumer to oppose deal. What a piece of scum.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-planning-to-break-with-obama-oppose-iran-deal_55c3f7e9e4b0d9b743dba71d?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013&section=politics

[Horus]

I'm hesitant to bring this up because I'm only patrilineally Jewish (and thus not really Jewish at all, because I take the rules seriously even if they're not technically mine), but accusing somebody like Al Franken (I don't know enough about Horus to know whether or not the same can be said of him) of not being Jewish enough or of self-hatred on the basis of a position that evinces a slightly-less-than-uncritical attitude towards the Israeli political consensus is honestly kind of unnerving. I understand that most (all?) of the major political factions in Israel are less than thrilled with this deal and many of them are quite vehemently opposed to it, but treating it as an issue on which dissent from that viewpoint is completely unacceptable strikes me as...I can't think of a word that succinctly indicates that I have a strongly negative view of that tendency but don't consider myself invested enough in Jewishness to fully commit to that view, but it strikes me as that.

I'm not a religious Jew by any means, but my mother is Jewish so I am as well whether I like it or not. The self hater mantra that the neocons and revisionist Zionists throw around has bothered me for years, but until yesterday the term had never made it onto this forum.

[Horus]

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) is a No

He really is the worst Dem in congress by far.

[Horus]

Michael Bennet supports the deal.

[Horus]

Who in the house is still undecided?

[Horus]

Ruppersberger, Neal and Crowley all support the deal, Sinema is unsurprisingly opposed as is Gwen Graham.

Update - Raul Ruiz and Bill Keating have announced their support as well. Only 18 Dems are undecided now.

[Horus]

Democrats Who Voted For Disapproval
Brad Ashford (NE-2)
Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13)
Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Elliot Engel (NY-16)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Gwen Graham (FL-2)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Steve Israel (NY-3)
Ted Lieu (CA-33)
Dan Lipinski (IL-3)
Nita Lowey (NY-17)
Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Grace Meng (NY-6)
Grace Napolitano  (CA-32)
Donald Norcross (NJ-1)
Collin Peterson (MN-7)
Kathleen Rice (NY-4)
David Scott (GA-13)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9)
Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)

Hopefully all of them get solid primary challenges. With Lipinski, Peterson, Vela, Boyle, Norcross, Green, Sinema and Ashford, a generic Republican would be no worse.

[Horus]

Democrats Who Voted For Disapproval
Brad Ashford (NE-2)
Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13)
Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
Elliot Engel (NY-16)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Gwen Graham (FL-2)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Steve Israel (NY-3)
Ted Lieu (CA-33)
Dan Lipinski (IL-3)
Nita Lowey (NY-17)
Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Grace Meng (NY-6)
Grace Napolitano  (CA-32)
Donald Norcross (NJ-1)
Collin Peterson (MN-7)
Kathleen Rice (NY-4)
David Scott (GA-13)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9)
Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)

So why did the 14 in Bold vote against it? Alot of Jewish people in those California Congressional Districts by the way?

Hastings, Lieu, Sires, Sherman and probably Napolitano all have a higher than average percentage of Jews in their districts. Norcross and Boyle are both extremely corrupt freshmen who I'd wager were bought. Vela, Lipinski and Green are blue dogs. Scott has some hawkish tendencies. I don't know anything about Cardenas and Vargas.